Resilient wheel



July 14, 1925. 1,545,991

M. T. WESTON RES ILIENT WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented luiy 14, 1925.

hili itiattl MILTON '1. WESTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

. Application filed May 12,

and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Resilient Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in resilient wheels for automobiles and other vehicles wherein the pneumatic resilient member is located in the central part of the wheel in an enlarged enclosed hub casing, thereby being protected fromthe elements and from contact with the road surface.

Such intermediate resilient members are shown in my Patent No. 1,289,586, December 31, 1918 and in my Patent No. 1,431,610, dated October 10, 1922. 1

In the present invention an outer shoe is provided to protect an inner expansible and inflatable tube, thus forming a resilient member somewhat like ordinary rubber tires; but with this difference, that in applying such tubes to resilient wheels of the class described herein, certain radical modifications in the conditions are met, that have brought about the invention described herein. I

In such resilient wheels, I prefer to make the resilient member of an outer fabric shoe and an inner rubber tube, and I furthermore form the shoe with a number of restricted or contracted sections intermediate to sections that are not contracted for the purpose of obtaining a radical compressibility as more particularly described in the applica tion referred to above. In such a resilient tube the inner periphery is subjected to a kneading action on the part of the inner member of the wheel, and therefore, the circumferential opening that is formed in the shoe to admit the inner tube cannot beon the inner periphery.

To meet these conditions the tube and particularly the shoe is made in a novel manner hereinafter more particularly described. r

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view showing the appearance of the inner periphery of the shoe of my improved tube;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the tube along line 2-2 Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections of the tube showing respectively the restricted 1922. Serial No. 560,325.

and the unrestricted portions thereof, taken on lines 33 and t-t :Figure 1; and

Figures 5 and 6 are similar sections of another form that my invention may take.

As shown in my prior Patent No. 1331,- 610 above referred to, the tube is made with certain constricted portions as-shown at 1 in Figures 1 and 2 with intervening unrestricted portions 2. The undulations thus formed permit the radial compression of the tube without stretching the fabric. To introduce the inner tube it. is necessary to part the shoe circumferentially and this I do on the outer periphery and I prefer also to so form the parting edges as to have them overlap.

' Figures 8 and 4 show a preferred form for such an overlapping joint which consists of an overlap of oneedge 3 over the other edge 4, the inner tube being represented at 5. I- prefer further to make an offset as at 6 on the inner side of the outer and on the outer side of the inner lap which, when engaging with each other Wlll lock the two edges together against the expandinterlock therewith to prevent lateral dis placement when pressure is applied within the inner tube.

It is not claimed that such construction of outer shoes would be practical for use as ordinary road contacting tires as the invention herein disclosed is only intended andonly adapted for use as an interior or hub cushion.

I have shown the parting of the shoe on the outer periphery asfthis part is more uniform of contour and is, moreover, less subject to distortion, not having the same kneading action as the interior periphery. In Figure 8 is shown, in outline only, the parts of the resilient wheel which form the casing for holding the pneumatic hub tube described herein. The part 9 is the bearing plate for the hub portion of the wheel. The part 10 is the outside rim or band of the wheel. Parts 11 are the Sides and outer plates or covers of the wheel and part 12 is the tire holding rim. It will be understood from this description in connection with the drawings that the pneumatic tube is. flattened axially in such a way that when it is deflated, it is readily moved laterally into and out of position between the outside seat or band and the movable pressure plates 9, these parts being likewise provided with axially flattened contours which require no warping or stretching of the tube for insertion or removal.

For full illustration of the various members of the resilient wheel and the manner in which it operates reference is made to my prior U. S. Patents Nos. 1,289,586 and 1,431,610 referred to above.

I claim 1. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a pneumatic tube comprising an inner elastic tube and an enveloping flexible shoe, said shoe having restricted and unrestricted portions permitting local distortion on its inner periphery and a circumferential parting on the outer periphery thereof, of a peripheral band bearing on the outer periphery of said shoe.

2. In a resilient wheel, the combination of a pneumatic tube, comprising an inner elastic tube and an enveloping flexible shoe, said pneumatic tube having pressure areas peripherally spaced around its inner periphcry to permit local distortion at these points, said shoe being provided with a circumferential parting around its outer periphery and an putside band peripherally embracing and bearing against the parted outer periphery of said shoe.

3. In a resilient wheel, a pneumatic tube for resisting relative displacement between concentrically arranged axle-contacting and tread units, said pneumatic tube comprising an inner tube, and an outer shoe provided with acircumferential parting for the introduction and removal of said inner tube, and having portions of the outer wall thereof distant from said circumferential parting permitting local distortion, and means for seating the outer shoe of the pneumatictube around the circumferential parting therein.

4:. A pneumatic tube comprising an inner tube and an outer shoe, said outer shoe being provided with pressure area portions permitting local distortion and extending around its outer periphery, with a parting therein for the introduction and removal of said inner tube, and meansfor seating said pneumatic tube along the parting therein.

5. In a resilient wheel, a pneumatic tube for resisting relative displacement between axial contacting and tread units, said pneumatic tube comprising an inner elastic tube and an outer shoe provided with a periph eral parting having interlocking edges, the outer periphery of said pneumatic tube be ing adapted to be pressed upon thruout its periphery by said tread unit, and means for articulately connecting said wheel units and having pressure engagement with the inner periphery of said pneumatic tube, said periphery being adapted to be locally distorted on angularly spaced pressure areas by means which articulately connect said units. 7

6. A pneumatic tube for cushioning the relative movements between relatively movable axle-contacting and tread units of a 7. The combination with a pneumatic' tube for resilient wheels, said pneumatic tube comprising an inner tube and outer shoe therefor provided with axially fiattened inner and outer peripheral walls and said shoe being provided with a circumferential parting in one of said axially flattened peripheral walls to permit the introduction and removal of said inner tube, of

an axially flattened circumferential band extending entirely around the circumference of the axially flattened wall containing said parting, and axially flattened means movably engaging the other axially flattened wall of said pneumatic tube, said pneumatic tube in deflated condition being thereby adapted to be moved by a simple axial movement into and out of position to oppose the movement of said axially flattened means when said pneumatic tube is inflated.

MILTON 'r. WESTON. 

